National Fire Protection Assn. (NFPA)

I often get calls from professional contractors who have become involved in design/build electrical projects that include the design and installation of fire alarm systems. The reasons for the calls vary, but most are born of surprise and frustration.

In the January 2012 issue of Campus Safety Magazine, Robin Hattersley-Gray reported from a 2011 survey stating that “more than half of university, hospital and K–12 school district fire protection professionals rate system maintenance (57 percent) and false alarms (53 percent) as two of their top fo

The captain of Road Prison 36 in “Cool Hand Luke,” played by Strother Martin, said the line that appears as the title of this article. Here, it leads to a discussion on the art and science of designing an effective communications system.

In a far-less-than-robust economy, we find many owners deferring moving to newly purchased or constructed facilities. Rather, they choose to renovate their existing buildings. Obviously, this process constricts the amount of work available.

Happy New Year! Even though we are only a few weeks into the new year, NFPA celebrated 2012 several months ago with the introduction of the ninth edition of NFPA 70E, the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace.

The 2012 Edition of NFPA 70E, the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, has made a significant change to the information requirements for arc flash warning labels.
According to Section 130.5(C), the following is now required:

Most professional contractors are comfortable advising what building owners should include in an electrical design project; the contractors’ expertise is based on their years of experience and knowledge of the National Electrical Code.

Conducting a fire alarm system acceptance test in front of a fire official can prove daunting, even when the system passes muster. But doing any form of fire alarm system testing without having the proper tools is downright foolish.

Today, casinos are being built nationwide—this construction is not limited to locales in Nevada and New Jersey. However, we still follow fire and building code requirements that were radically changed by deadly fires in Las Vegas casinos close to 30 years ago.

Why can’t more technicians get it right? The answer: installation company owners must have a commitment to provide the appropriate training. And, technicians must have a commitment to participate in the appropriate training, so they will develop a passion to always do what’s right.

Starting in September, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), developer and publisher of NFPA 70E, the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, will offer the opportunity to earn the new NFPA 70E Certificate of Educational Achievement by attending a three-day seminar, which conclu

Electrical construction has always been a dangerous profession, so finding ways to make the work less hazardous is certainly the goal of the National Electrical Code (NEC); Underwriters Laboratories; the Occupational Safety and Health Administration; NFPA 70E, the Standard for Electrical Safety in t

Maryland became the most recent state to accept and implement the 2009 editions of the National Fire Protection Association 101, Life Safety Code; NFPA 1, Fire Code; and the 2008 edition of NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code.